History and curious facts about Bon Bon Bum, the Colombian lollipop that turns 50

This year, the classic Colombian lollipop Bon Bon Bum celebrates 50 years in the national market. Through time, it has managed to position itself as the most commercialized sweet gum-filled bonbon in the country and to be the flagship product of the Colombina company.

The origin of this sweet is in the cane fields in Valle del Cauca. In the 1920s, Hernando Caicedo took advantage of the agricultural capacity of the department, its warm temperatures, the quality and fertility of its soils, to produce all kinds of sweets and candies with tropical fruit flavors that have conquered generations of consumers.

The businessman was the founder of Riopaila, starting with a sugar mill at Hacienda Riopaila, north of Valle del Cauca.

In 1960, European techniques were incorporated into the factory with which they began to make fillings and jams with natural fruit flavors typical of the region., replacing artificial essences.

Ten years later, on a business trip to Puerto Rico by Jaime Caicedo and Ariosto Manrique, manager and production director respectively, they came across a candy ball filled with gum.

They contacted the manufacturer of the machine that produced the candy in Holland to adapt the invention to the lollipops that they had been developing in Valle del Cauca since the 1920s. Bon Bon Bum was launched in 1970, the first round bubblegum-filled bonbon on the market. Anticipating the undoubted “boom” that this new product would bring, it was baptized with that name.

The bonbon quickly became Colombina’s flagship product and a favorite among consumers of all ages.

With these types of innovative products, Colombina became the first South American factory to compete with the European candy store.

In 50 years of existence, more than 40 flavors of this sweet have been launched, among which are Strawberry, Lulo, Mandarin, Passion Fruit, Intense Strawberry, Fresh Morazul, Marucufresa and Intense Cherry, but its original version is the Red Strawberry flavor.

The Bon Bon Bum formula remains the original since its inception. In addition, it is made with natural cane sugar and harvested in Valle del Cauca.

These are some curiosities of the Bon Bon Bum:

– The Bon Bon Bum is made with sugar, water, glucose and essences.

– The lollipop weighs 19 grams and its preparation uses cane sugar harvested in the Valle del Cauca.

– The Bon Bon Bum is made with sugar, water, glucose and essences. The lollipop weighs 19 grams and for its preparation is used cane sugar harvested in the Valle del Cauca. of cane harvested in Valle del Cauca.

– The footballer Radamel Falcao García was the image of a Bon Bon Bum campaign.

-Since 2009, Colombina has held the ‘Copa Bon Bon Bum’ soccer tournament in which up to 1,100 teams from all over the country participate.

-The La Paila plant is the largest in Latin America in the production of hard candies under a single roof.

-While the lollipops of its kind in the world have a single “bow” that covers the bonbon on the stick, Bon Bon Bum also has a “top bow.” That feature is unique on the planet.

-In the mouth, if it is not bitten, it lasts between 20 and 23 minutes. This without counting the time in which the gum is left in the mouth.

-The first product exports were made by the United States, Ecuador and Venezuela.

-In 2020 Colombina reached an agreement with Walmart to market the product in 47 of the 50 states of the United States.